Mickey Arthur was the type of player who commanded universal respect through his dedication and always showed the attributes of being a good coach. He managed 6557 runs playing for Free State, Griqualand West and South Africa A before hanging up his boots in 2001. He coached Griquas in the domestic competition before taking over the Eastern Cape side in 2003, and guiding them to the finals of the Standard Bank Pro20 series in the last two seasons. He was a slightly surprising choice to take over as the national coach in May 2005, succeeding Ray Jennings.

His first two Test series as coach happened to be against a rampant Australia, both away and at home, and South Africa were easily brushed aside. In between, an injury-hit South Africa failed to make the finals of the 2005-06 VB Series, but they did clinch a tense one-day series win over Australia at home, which culminated in that match at Johannesburg. From there on though, South Africa were run quietly, calmly and successfully by Arthur and Graeme Smith; back-to-back Test and one-day series victories against India and Pakistan at home were followed by another Australia-inflicted ouster in the semi-finals of the 2007 World Cup, but South Africa marched onwards in Tests. Under Arthur they snapped a 43-year hiatus with their first series win in England since the end of apartheid and then overcame the biggest bogey of them all, a series win in Australia.

After his tenure with South Africa ended in 2010, Arthur became coach of Western Australia and, in November the following year, became the first foreign-born coach of the Australian national team. His time with Australia was rife with mediocre showings on the field, though, and team-discipline issues off it. It ended with Arthur being sacked from the job, just a fortnight before the much-anticipated 2013 Ashes in England.ESPNcricinfo staff